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close| Location | Panama |
| Central coordinates | 78o 43.00' West 8o 46.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i, A4iii |
| Area | 29,700 ha |
| Altitude | |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2007 |
Ornithological information The site is an important area for migratory shorebirds. The highest single day count was 11,663 in October 1991, of which 6,044 were small shorebirds. Taking turnover into account, 22,000 small shorebirds may use the area during autumn migration. Based on one-day counts, this area may contain 1.7% of the North American population of Whimbrel.
Site description The Chimán Wetlands include extensive mudflats (11,400 ha), up to three km wide, and coastal mangroves (18,300 ha) from the Ensenada de Corral at the mouth of the La Maestra River eastward to Punta Bruja, at the base of the Serranía de Majé). The site merges with the Upper Bay of Panama IBA to the west. Short rivers from the Serranía drain into the area, including the Platanares and Chimán. There are small villages at Chimán at the mouth of the Chimán River and at Punta Brujas, and a few other settlements inland.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus | winter | 1988-1997 | 2,008 individuals | good | A4i | Least Concern |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla | winter | 1988-1993 | 2,800 individuals | poor | Near Threatened | |
| Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri | winter | 1988-1993 | 19,000 individuals | poor | A4i | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | winter | 1988-1993 | - | poor | A4iii |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahía de Panamá | Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) | 48,919 | protected area is adjacent to site | 0 |
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Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Coastline | major | |
| Forest | major |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| fisheries/aquaculture | major |
| agriculture | minor |
| rangeland/pastureland | minor |
Other biodiversity Neotropical River Otter, Crab-eating Raccoon, and American Crocodile probably occur.
Management considerations Mangroves throughout Panama are threatened by extraction for wood, tannin, and charcoal. The area inland from the site is now heavily deforested, but the impact on mangroves is unknown.
Protection status The area is unprotected.
Conservation response None known
References Angehr, George R. 2003. Directorio de areas importantes para aves en Panama. Directory of important bird areas in Panama. Panama: Sociedad Audubon de Panama. Morrison, R. I. G., R. W. Butler, E. S. Delgado, and R. K. Ross. 1998. Atlas of Nearctic shorebirds and other waterbirds on the coast of Panama. Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa.
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Chimán Wetlands. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 18/06/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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